Villagers from Gwanda South who continue to suffer from what they claim to be a strange disease which has claimed several lives in their area have called on the international community to intervene as they feel the Ministry of Health is not doing enough on the plague.

Masses have been perishing around the country with the Ministry of Health admitting that there are 131 deaths. The health ministry claims these deaths might be caused by malaria.

However in an emotional plea to. ZimEye.com, villagers in Gwanda argue that these are coronavirus cases and are demanding for urgent massive Coronavirus testing in the area.

The villagers insist that the symptoms exhibited in the so claimed malaria cases are so close to the Coronavirus ones as published by the World Health Organisation.

“”We don’t understand why the Ministry is insisting that this is malaria when they have not tried anything that can prove that it’s not Coronavirus,” said Thuso Sebatha from Vubvuma area in Gwanda.

“If the Ministry does not have the capacity to meet our request, we are calling on the international community to urgently intervene and check on the situation. The truth is that people are still dying and falling ill and losing trust on each other, ” he added.

Zimbabwe is one of the most ill-prepared countries to fight the Covid-19 in the region. The government has failed to secure personal protective equipment for the healthcare employees. Hospitals do not have ventilators and staff to handle the pandemic.

The Health ministry through its Twitter handle reported that cumulative figures for malaria are 135 585 and 131 deaths. A total 201 malaria outbreaks have been reported throughout the country mostly from malarious provinces such as Manicaland, Masvingo and Mash East.

In its report, the Ministry excluded Gwanda and Beitbridge where complaints on Coronavirus fears have been continuously been raised.

The Ministry of Health further claims that 90 outbreaks have been controlled and 18 690 malaria cases and 17 deaths were reported this week. Of the reported cases, 1 935 (10.4%) were from the under five years of age. The deaths were reported from Mutoko District (4) in Mashonaland East Province, Mbire District (1).

The international community would indeed be advised to keep an eye on the Zimbabwe situation before things get out of hand.